Co-parenting in California, without the 10 p.m. scramble
The school email. The $120 receipt. The pickup you have to confirm again. Hand Civly any of it as it arrived and it lands on one calendar both houses read — and if you ever need the record for Superior Court, where CA custody matters are heard, it's already there. You won't be building it at 10 p.m.
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Superior Court
handles custody in CA
Cal. Fam. Code § 3011
custody statute
California custody law
California courts prioritize frequent and continuing contact with both parents and determine custody based on the child's health, safety, and welfare.
What California courts consider in custody decisions
California judges evaluate the child's health, safety, and welfare; any history of abuse by either parent; the nature and amount of contact with both parents; and the child's habitual substance abuse. Domestic violence creates a rebuttable presumption against custody for the abusive parent under § 3044.
How the custody process works in California
California custody cases begin with filing in Superior Court. Parents must attend mandatory mediation through Family Court Services before a judge will hear contested custody issues. If mediation fails, the court may appoint a child custody evaluator under Evidence Code § 730. Temporary orders can be obtained via an Order to Show Cause while the case proceeds.
Key California custody statutes
- Cal. Fam. Code § 3011
- Cal. Fam. Code § 3020
- Cal. Fam. Code § 3040
- Cal. Fam. Code § 3044
- Cal. Evid. Code § 730
How Civly helps California parents
One week, both houses, one version
Paste the school email or a calendar link and the events build themselves. Color-coded custody schedule from your own parenting plan. Share a read-only link with grandparents, attorneys, or mediators.
Say it how it comes out. Send the calm version.
Type or speak what you really feel — Civly writes the calm version — the one you would not cringe at if it were read back later. Your vent stays private and never enters an export. What you send is what gets kept.
Snap the receipt, skip the math
Snap a receipt or forward an email. AI extracts the amount. Your co-parent approves or disputes. Everything documented, timestamped, and exportable for your attorney.
Records your attorney can work with
Every message is timestamped, and exports as a certified PDF with a SHA-256 hash and a code anyone can check at civly.com/verify. How to present it in California's Superior Court system is your attorney's call, and whether a record is admitted is always the court's decision.
Pricing comparison
Civly
$79/year
or $7.99/month
- AI message rewriting
- Custody calendar
- Expense tracking
- Timestamped PDF exports
- Certified exports with verification codes
OurFamilyWizard Essentials
$149.99/year
Their cheapest tier that includes Writing Assistant. Cheaper OFW tiers exist without it. Per parent, list price August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
You don't need their agreement to start
Set up the calendar, log what's owed, draft the message you have to send tonight. Invite them when you're ready — the shared parts switch on the day they join.
Start tonight — $79/year30-day money-back guarantee. Available in every state.
Cities in California
Civly serves co-parents across California. Find local court info and resources for your city.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
San Diego
San Diego County
San Jose
Santa Clara County
San Francisco
San Francisco County
Fresno
Fresno County
Sacramento
Sacramento County
Long Beach
Los Angeles County
Oakland
Alameda County
Bakersfield
Kern County
Anaheim
Orange County
Santa Ana
Orange County
Riverside
Riverside County
Stockton
San Joaquin County
Irvine
Orange County
Chula Vista
San Diego County
Modesto
Stanislaus County
Civly is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. Custody law and the rules of evidence vary from state to state, and individual judges apply them differently. For advice about your own case, speak to a family law attorney licensed in California. Civly launched in 2026 and is not named in many court orders yet — if your order already requires a specific platform, keep using it and ask your attorney before switching.